Nutsford Vale Open Space, Manchester, Is Saved
Picnic at Nutsford Vale We are delighted that Manchester City Council’s education department has decided not to build a school on the popular open space at Nutsford Vale, despite having received planning permission earlier this year. With our member, the Friends of Nutsford Vale, we opposed the planning application on this council-owned park on the borders…
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Appalling Decision To Allow Wind Turbines On Powys Beauty-Spot
A Welsh Government minister has approved an application for seven wind-turbines at Llandegley Rocks, near Llandrindod Wells in Powys. The decision overturns the recommendation of an inspector at a public inquiry held in March. The Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, has rejected the report of the inspector, planner Hywel Wyn…
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Pulling The Trigger On Village Greens
Cooper Estates Strategic Land Ltd v Wiltshire Council and Richard Gosnell and Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council. This is the first court case to pronounce on the meaning of ‘trigger events’ (as defined in section 15C of, and schedule 1A to, the Commons Act 2006) and has worrying implications. Such an event, which includes the…
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Our local correspondents gather in the Lickey Hills
Over two days in mid August, 29 local correspondents, trustees and members of staff met at the Hillscourt conference centre, Rednall, on the edge of the Lickey Hills country park south-west of Birmingham. It was an opportunity to swap experiences and ideas and to learn more about the range of activities in which the society…
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Countryside Act at 50
On 3 July we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Countryside Act 1968, an important piece of legislation. The Open Spaces Society, with the Ramblers, played a major role in its genesis. Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, explains its history and significance. The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, which led to…
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What tragedy?
This year is the fiftieth anniversary of an influential article which, wrongly, gave commons a bad name. In 1968 Science magazine published a paper called ‘The tragedy of the commons’ by biologist Garrett Hardin. Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, explains. This was about the global population problem, in part inspired by an 1833 pamphlet by…
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Jerry Pearlman: fighter for commons and paths
Our world of paths and commons would be very different but for the work of Jerry Pearlman who has died aged 84 on 9 March 2018, writes our general secretary. Jerry was honorary solicitor for the Ramblers for more than 30 years; he took on countless path battles and campaigned for freedom to roam on…
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Thank You
Thanks for registering for our eZine mailing list! You are now subscribed to our monthly newsletters and have the option to unsubscribe at any time. If you would like to find out how you can further support our work in protecting open spaces in England and Wales, please visit our Become a Member page Thank…
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The government’s 25-year plan for the environment
We are pleased that the government has at last published its 25-year plan for the environment. It has many fine ambitions, which we applaud, and now we should like to hear more about how the government intends to achieve them. And of course we are willing to help. Green spaces We particularly welcome the aims…
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Roxlena: Long use and the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
Cumbria County Council has successfully defended in the High Court [Roxlena Ltd, R (On the Application Of) v Cumbria County Council], its decision to make a definitive map modification order (DMMO) for paths in Hayton Woods, east of Carlisle, in response to an application previously made by local people on the basis of long use…
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